Billing methods

Currently, ECS instances support two billing methods:

Subscription

A prepaid method that allows you to use an instance only after you make the payment for it. Instance usage is billed on a monthly basis, and the billing unit is USD/month. Subscription is applicable to fixed 24/7 services, such as Web services. For more information, see Subscription.

Pay-As-You-Go

A postpaid method in which you can pay after using the instance. Instance usage is billed on a minute basis, and the billing unit is US$/hour. The minimum charge for the lifecycle of an ECS instance (from creation to release) is USD 0.01. Pay-As-You-Go is applicable to scenarios where sudden traffic spikes occur, such as temporary scaling, interim testing, and scientific computing. For more information, see Pay-As-You-Go.

Functions

The functions of an ECS instance vary depending on the billing method. The following table lists the differences between Subscription and Pay-As-You-Go billing.

Not supported. The instance will be automatically released if it is not timely renewed after the instance expires.

Supported. If you do not need an instance any longer, release it immediately. Otherwise, the instance is still billed even after it is stopped until it is out of service and automatically released because of overdue payment. You can enable the No fees for stopped instances (VPC-Connected) feature.

Subscription is a prepaid billing method. Therefore, payment by credit card, PayPal account, or coupons is supported. For more information about billing rules, see Subscription.

To view the billing record for a Subscription instance, log on to the ECS Console and go to Billing Management > Bills > Subscription.

The Pay-As-You-Go billing method allows you to use instances first and then pay for the resources you have used. Payment by credit card or coupons is supported. For more information about billing rules, see Pay-As-You-Go.

To view the billing record for a Pay-As-You-Go instance, log on to the ECS Console and go to Billing Management > Bills > Pay-As-You-Go.